The Inside Track | T.J. Simers

Team's on Shaky Ground as It Halts Stadium Work

JEFFREY LURIE, who produced movies in L.A., including "V.I. Warshawski," met with John Shaw a little more than a decade ago to talk football. Yes, that John Shaw, the man who engineered the Rams' departure from Anaheim to St. Louis on behalf of Georgia Frontiere.

It was Shaw who "found" Lurie for Norman Braman, who was trying to sell the Philadelphia Eagles. Lurie had failed earlier in a bid to buy the New England Patriots, of all teams, but Braman accepted Lurie's offer of $195 million to buy the Eagles in 1994.

Shaw said he expects to find the NFL again in L.A. in 2009.

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KOBE BRYANT has an Eagle shirt and visor hanging in shrine-like fashion next to his locker, as if he thinks Philly has a chance in the Super Bowl. He probably also thinks the Lakers are a playoff team.

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WHAT COULD be more bizarre? Kermit Washington replacing Rudy T. as coach of the Lakers? Rick Majerus replacing Rudy T.? Tim Floyd resigning from USC to replace Rudy T.? Or, how about Phil and Jeanie sitting in a hot tub together again?

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.